Photo: A member of the opposition prayed for safety as he stood guard near the Mediterranean Sea in Benghazi. He held a surface-to-air missile launcher to protect the rebels from incoming planes.

What would a no-fly zone in Libya mean? A bit of history may provide some perspective.

Today in Libya, civilians are being killed by a besieged and isolated dictator. Libyan warplanes have been used to attack civilians, although the vast majority of the violence has come from ground attacks. The Libyan opposition’s provisional national council, meeting in Benghazi, is debating whether they should request military support from the international community, maybe the UN or NATO, starting with a no-fly zone. The Arab League announced that it was also considering establishing a no-fly zone, perhaps with the African Union.